MIDDLESBROUGH COUNCIL

Tees Valley Growth Deal

Executive Member for Regeneration – Councillor Charles Rooney

Executive Director of Economic Development & Communities – Kevin Parkes

Date 4th November 2014

PURPOSE OF THE REPORT

1To seek Executive approval regarding the proposed delivery of the Tees Valley Growth Deal.

SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS

2It is recommended that the Executive:

  • notes the requirements, and progress made with the 2015/16 Growth Deal Funding Agreement and Implementation Plan;
  • notes the principles and approach for decision making under the LGF Programme Management Framework; and
  • approves the devolution of current and future Growth Deal/LGF management to Tees Valley Unlimited governance groups, as detailed under the existing Partnership Agreement and in accordance with the LGF Programme Management Framework.

IF THIS IS A KEY DECISION WHICH KEY DECISION TEST APPLIES?

3 / It is over the financial threshold (£150,000) / X
It has a significant impact on 2 or more wards
Non Key

DECISION IMPLEMENTATION DEADLINE

4For the purposes of the scrutiny call in procedure this report is

Non-urgent / X
Urgent report

If urgent please give full reasons

BACKGROUND AND EXTERNAL CONSULTATION

5In response to Michael Heseltine’s Report ‘No Stone Unturned’, Government devolved £2bn of capital funding to Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) in 2015/16 through Growth Deals to unlock jobs and growth creation. This is part of a wider initiative to devolve a minimum of £12bn over the course of the next 6 years by redirecting central Government funding down to the LEP level.

6This funding, called Local Growth Funding (LGF) was split into competitive and non-competitive elements, with £1.1bn available to pre-approved projects (predominately transport) and £930m available to LEPs through a competitive process.

7On 7th July 2014 the Tees Valley Unlimited (TVU) secured £90.3m of LGF through a Growth Deal with government. This funding will support the delivery of 15 new capital projects across the Tees Valley; these include 5 transport projects, 4 innovation builds/developments, 2 Further Education establishment builds/refurbishments, 3 projects which open up sites to enable development, and continued funding of capital grants to businesses through Business Compass – the Growth Hub for the Tees Valley. Middlesbrough Council secured £3m to develop the Offshore Wind Validation Centre at Teesside Advanced Manufacturing Park.

8Of the £90.3m secured, over £72m came from the LGF competitive element; the area performed well compared to other LEPs, coming 9th out of the 39 LEPs in terms of the amount of funding secured per capita (£108 per head of population, £31 more than the England average). Indeed, per capita the Tees Valley outperformed areas such as the North East (11th), Greater Manchester (12th), Leeds City Region (13th), Humber (15th), and York, North Yorkshire and East Riding (22nd).

9With funding confirmed, TVU is now working closely with government to put the necessary arrangements in place to manage and deliver the Growth Deal/LGF projects successfully. This report outlines these requirements.

10Local management of LGF funds will be through a Programme Management Framework which will operate under the existing TVU Joint Agreement. To ensure efficient and effective decision-making, it is proposed that the TVU governance groups assume full management responsibilities for Growth Deal/LGF funding.

11Approval is therefore sought to devolve responsibilities to the TVU governance groups under the existing Joint Agreement and in accordance with the LGF Programme Management Framework.

Tees Valley Growth Deal – Government Requirements

A Funding Agreement with Government signed off in October

12Government has confirmed a ‘simple’ offer letter for LGF will be issued to LEPs with no extensive conditions; the grant will be fully awarded upfront through a section 31 arrangement. TVU is expecting the Funding Agreement to be signed off in October 2014 and to get the 2015/16 funding award in April 2015.

An Implementation Plan will be signed off in October

13TVU is required to sign off an Implementation Plan with government. The Plan is ‘high level’ and ‘light touch’, with a 2015/16 focus. It sits alongside a suite of documents which detail the joint commitments between the LEP and government. These include an Assurance Framework that ensures value for money from projects, a Monitoring and Evaluation Plan and a Strategic Communications Plan.

14Implementation Plans are expected to be signed off in October; TVU has had sight of a first draft and it covers the items listed below.

  • Wider offer actions and milestones secured through the Growth Deal – particularly with regard to the Homes and Communities Agency working with TVU towards a strategy for Onsite sites and to explore with DCLG options for driving forward the Enterprise Zone. These ‘Asks’ formed part of our Strategic Economic Plan also submitted to government alongside our LGF bid.
  • High level LGF Project milestones which cover dates for completing Due Diligence, having Funding Agreements in place, procurement issue date, contract let, start/completion/site open dates.
  • Programme Management arrangements and timescales for implementation, outputs and spend. It also covers details on local accountability and assurance frameworks, governance, delivery management, communications and monitoring and evaluation.
  • Risk Monitoring which mainly relate to general project risks and detail a requirement to keep in regular contact with government on project development.

15Government acknowledge that LEPs need the flexibility to change the Implementation Plan as required and has confirmed this can be discussed as part of the regular dialogue between the LEP and a government nominated ‘Relationship Manager’.

Tees Valley ‘LGF Programme Management Framework’

16At a local level it is important that there is robust programme management systems and governance in place to ensure government requirements are met at all times (see paragraphs 12-15) and to ensure all projects are clear on what is expected of them at each stage of their development. TVU has drafted an LGF Programme Management Framework to handle projects from ‘cradle to grave’ and which, exceeds government requirements.

17The LGF Programme Management Framework has been developed with full support from Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council (SBC) as Accountable Body and with the full involvement of government. The LGF Programme Management Framework has also been approved by the TVU Investment Panel at their meeting on 23rd September.

18This Framework sets out how current and future LGF projects will be managed through the following stages:

  • Stage 1: Project Planning and Development
  • Stage 2: Project Calls
  • Stage 3: Local Prioritisation and Selection
  • Stage 4: Government Approval
  • Stage 5: Due Diligence and Project Approval
  • Stage 6: Project Funding Agreement
  • Stage 7: Delivery, Monitoring and Evaluation
  • Stage 8: Project Closure

19The principles set out in the Framework for LGF management and governance are crucially important; listed below are the key points to note.

Key Responsibilities for General Programme Management:

  • Leadership Board will formally ‘select’ projects to put forward for future LGF funding (based on Investment Panel recommendations – stages 1-3 above);
  • Investment Panel will oversee the management of these projects (stages 5-8 above);
  • Investment Panel will be responsible for managing any future developments or changes to the LGF Programme Management Framework;
  • The Accountable Body - SBC will assume legal responsibility for LGF decisions under the existing Joint Agreement. The arrangement has been used successfully to deliver major schemes in the past, such as elements of the Tees Valley Metro Scheme, Single Programme and ERDF funded projects.

Key Responsibilities for Project Changes and Variations:

  • Investment Panelwill be responsible for overseeing and approving any project changes;
  • Investment Panel will be able to re-profile and re-allocate spend to other ‘selected’ projects where there is a requirement to do so(for example, if there is a project underspend or if a project drops off). This may be to the following:
  • existing projects (for extra outputs);
  • agreed ‘strategic projects’ (agreed at stage 1 by Leadership Board); and
  • projects previously ‘selected’ by the Leadership Board for LGF funding through an ‘open call’ (stage 2) but which were not successful with Government (stage 4).
  • Leadership Board would need to approve any ‘new’ projects which have not been previously considered and/or put forward for LGF funding to Government (i.e.: those that do not fall into the three categories above)
  • All projects would need to be (re-)assessed to demonstrate they fit strategically, are deliverable and offer value for money, in line with the PMF and Accountable Body requirements.

Seeking Formal Approval for the LGF Programme Management Framework

20The LGF Programme Management Framework more than meets current government requirements and we are working closely with our Relationship Manager to ensure any future developments are in line with expectations.

21Approval is also being sought from each of the five Local Authorities as the existing Partnership Agreement does not adequately provide the existing TVU governance groups with the delegated authority to make decisions regarding LGF funding.

IMPACT ASSESSMENT (IA)

22An Impact Assessment has been undertaken for the overall TAMP project. No negative impacts have been identified as part of this assessment.

OPTION APPRAISAL/RISK ASSESSMENT

23The approach contained within this report has been discussed and agreed within the appropriate TVU governance groups (which include Middlesbrough Council representation), and it is intended that all 5 Local Authorities agree to it. Consequently, the options can be summarised as:

Proceed with the approach detailed within this report

24The recommendations detailed within this report will provide a uniform approach to managing the Tees Valley Growth Fund and enable TVU to accept the funds from Government and provide effective reporting of their use.

Refuse the proposed approach

25As highlighted in paragraph 23, it is intended that all 5 Local Authorities will adopt the recommendations contained within this report. Therefore, refusing the proposed approach would either:

  • require renegotiation of the overall package of support and it’s management, which would take further time and potentially risk missing the Government deadlines described in paragraph 12; or
  • jeopardise the whole Tees Valley Growth package and therefore risk the loss of the funding and projects highlighted within paragraph 7.

FINANCIAL, LEGAL AND WARD IMPLICATIONS

26Financial –No direct funding is being made by Middlesbrough Council towards the Tees Valley Growth Deal, but it does stand to benefit from the projects supported by it. Specifically, the Offshore Wind Validation Centre project at Teesside Advanced Manufacturing Park.

27Ward Implications - The economic benefits of the developments supported via the Tees Valley Growth Deal will extend across the whole of Middlesbrough and the wider Tees Valley.

28Legal Implications – As highlighted in paragraph 10, the proposed management framework would be implemented under the auspices of the existing TVU Joint Agreement.

RECOMMENDATIONS

29It is recommended that the Executive Member for Regeneration:

  • notes the requirements, and progress made with the 2015/16 Growth Deal Funding Agreement and Implementation Plan;
  • notes the principles and approach for decision making under the LGF Programme Management Framework; and
  • approves the devolution of current and future Growth Deal/LGF management to Tees Valley Unlimited governance groups, as detailed under the existing Partnership Agreement and in accordance with the LGF Programme Management Framework.
REASONS

30The Tees Valley Growth Deal will deliver £90.3m of Government funding within the Tees Valley, delivering 15 capital projects.

31The approach and recommendations described within this report have been developed in liaison with both Government and local partners, who have agreed that this is the most efficient and effective way of managing the Tees Valley Growth Deal.

BACKGROUND PAPERS

The following background papers were used in the preparation of this report:

  • No Stone Unturned – Department of Business, Innovation & Skills
  • Tees Valley Unlimited Growth Deal – Cabinet Office & Deputy Prime Minister’s Office

AUTHOR: Richard Dowson

TEL NO: 01642 729560

______

Address: 1st Floor, Civic Centre, Middlesbrough, TS1 9FY

Website: